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The DEA has issued a request for translators in 114 languages, including Ebonics.STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Linguistic Society says Ebonics a valid dialectEbonics is "a language form we have a need for," DEA saysEbonics became controversial with a 1996 school board proposalThe DEA is seeking translators in 114 languages(CNN) -- Wanted by the Drug Enforcement Administration: Ebonics translators.

It might sound like a punch line, as "Ebonics" -- the common name for what linguists call African-American English -- has long been the butt of jokes, as well as the subject of controversy.

But the agency is serious about needing nine people to translate conversations picked up on wiretaps during investigations, Special Agent Michael Sanders said Tuesday. A solicitation was sent to contractors as part of a request to companies to provide hundreds of translators in 114 languages.

"DEA's position is, it's a language form we have a need for," Sanders said. "I think it's a language form that DEA recognizes a need to have someone versed in to conduct investigations."

The translators, being hired in the agency's Southeast Region -- which includes Atlanta, Georgia; Washington; New Orleans, Louisiana; Miami, Florida; and the Caribbean -- would listen to wiretaps, translate what was said and be able to testify in court if necessary, he said.

"The concept is right and good," said Walt Wolfram, distinguished professor of English linguistics at North Carolina State University. "Why wouldn't you want experts who can help you understand what people are communicating?"

"On one level, it's no different than someone from the Outer Banks of North Carolina who speaks a distinct brogue," he said. "The problem is that even the term 'Ebonics' is so controversial and politicized that it becomes sort of a free-for-all."

And Ebonics is no longer spoken only by African-Americans, Sanders said, referring to it as "urban language" or "street language." He said he is aware of investigations in recent years in which it was spoken by African-Americans, Latinos and white people. "It crosses over geographic, racial and ethnic backgrounds," he said.

"[African-American English] is linguistic defiance being reinforced by hip-hop," said professor John Baugh, who leads the public relations committee of the Linguistic Society of America.

The DEA's recruiting "has it half right," Baugh said.

Although having translation help is a good law enforcement tool, Baugh said, the term "Ebonics" may be counterproductive because "the social positions of speakers have been the object of ridicule."

The Washington University professor also is concerned about racial profiling resulting from assumptions made from a speaker's dialect.

While the DEA wants to have the translators available, it may not need to call upon them, Sanders said. He did not know how much it would cost to have the translators available.

"I can't say it's spoken all the time, like Spanish and Vietnamese," Sanders said. "But there are people trying to use this to evade detection" while trafficking in drugs, he said.

Asked whether agency currently has agents who can translate Ebonics, Sanders said some who have worked on local police forces can help pick out words on wiretaps.

The term "Ebonics" -- a blend of "ebony" and "phonics" -- became known in 1996, when the Oakland, California, Unified School District proposed using it in teaching English. After the school board came under fire, it voted to alter the plan, which recognized Ebonics as a distinct language.

The revised plan removed reference to Ebonics as "genetically based" and as the "primary language" of students. The board also removed a part that some understood to indicate that African-American students would be taught in Ebonics, although the board denied such intentions.

"There is something of substance here," said Wolfram, who said he has studied African-American English for 40 years. "There are differences in terms of language and lexicon and so forth that are difficult to understand for most people. So it is an issue. What, of course, happens is, it gets politicized and trivialized by the very term 'Ebonics.'"

The Linguistic Society of America calls Ebonics a form of communication that deserves recognition and study.

"Characterizations of Ebonics as 'slang,' 'mutant,' 'lazy,' 'defective,' 'ungrammatical' or 'broken English' are incorrect and demeaning," a 1997 resolution said.

For Baugh, all languages or dialects are "fundamentally equal." Ebonics is a dialect spoken by slave descendants who live in many countries and don't speak just English, he said. Its early speakers were enslaved, isolated from other speakers of their language and denied access to formal education, Baugh said.

Wolfram -- who has authored more than 20 books on English dialects, including African-American English -- recalled the Black Panther trials during the 1970s, when there was debate over whether the saying, "Off the pigs," was a genuine threat to kill police officers or a more metaphorical saying.

Wolfram acknowledged Ebonics often presented as "nothing but bad language." But, he said, "However you view it ... why wouldn't you want to avail yourself of all the interpretive capability that you can get?"

African-American English is "a systematic language variety, with patterns of pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and usage that extend far beyond slang," according to the website of the Center for Applied Linguistics, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that says it aims to improve communication through better understanding of language and culture.

"Because it has a set of rules that is distinct from those of standard American English, characterizations of the variety as bad English are incorrect," the center said. "Speakers of AAE do not fail to speak standard American English, but succeed in speaking African American English."

U.S. English, a political advocacy group, supports the DEA's recruitment, said Tim Schultz, director of government relations.

"Having somebody to explain slang terms ... spoken by a particular community is an advantage if it allows them to understand a conversation," he said.

U.S. English's primary focus is making English the official language of the United States and backing laws that ensure immigrants learn English.

Language barriers that contribute to conflicts between nations can be a "serious issue," Wolfram noted. "It's the same point here."

He said the translators could help in investigations, as "the differences between dialect and code words can get pretty blurry at times."

Sanders said DEA plans to continue seeking the translators.

"African-American English is an evolving dialect and in some ways is growing in stature," Baugh said.

Phil in Fag Lawdergayle, don't even try it or I'll bust a cap in yo ass.

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"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

both actually - I used to live in Fort Lauderdale - off Las Olas - not far from the Sears Town alley;Now live in North Miami - off W. Dixie - near Prime Time Books...... Next stop ?I like more about South Florida then I dislike about it - if that is saying anything - I've been here about 12 years. I would love to live up in NYC - but don't want to deal with the winters.

Yeah the winters are what I can't handle. NYC would be a great change though... you could be a snowbird

I currently live downtown by Las Olas, and after all of this I think I want to ditch this wasteful lifestyle of image and professionalism and take a few steps back. I wanna buy a small fixer upper close to the beach. I think that would do me mentally wonders, and all the house projects would keep my hands busy too.

Yeah the winters are what I can't handle. NYC would be a great change though... you could be a snowbird

I currently live downtown by Las Olas, and after all of this I think I want to ditch this wasteful lifestyle of image and professionalism and take a few steps back. I wanna buy a small fixer upper close to the beach. I think that would do me mentally wonders, and all the house projects would keep my hands busy too.

I hear you numbers - I actually lived on W. Las Olas when I first moved here (Sailboat Bend - great historic area).I would love to do the snowbird thing.I also wouldn't mind living in Costa Rica - have a friend living there who loves it; Also, Equador - have a friend who relocated there about two years ago and loves it.For now, South Florida will suffice - I usually get to the beach once a week - prefer Haulover - have my own personal tiki hut there - LOL

LORD @ The Haulover comment lol... I have never been but heard things lol

I wonder how Health care would be if you moved to another country?

Both Costa Rica and Equador have great health care systems - from what I'm told - I don't know any specifics regarding fact of being HIV+ and moving there and/or cost of buying into their system as a non-national.

Both Costa Rica and Equador have great health care systems - from what I'm told - I don't know any specifics regarding fact of being HIV+ and moving there and/or cost of buying into their system as a non-national.

Early retirement in Brazil. That's where it's at.

I read somewhere that you could retire in Ecuador and live lvery nicely on $800 a month. I just wouldn't be able to find many decent tricks down there.

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"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

I plan on retiring to Brookings, Oregon because you don't need either heating or air conditioning there.

And what would you do in such a boring place? Write your long overdue biography and knit sweaters?

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"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

LOL - they have pretty much cleaned up the seascapes now - at least during the day time. I wouldn't venture into them at night as I have seen snakes (real snakes, not the phallic type) crawling up into them and too many mosquitoes. My luck I would get bit by a real snake and get Dengue Fever from the squitoes if I ever ventured in there to handle my business.

Soulja Boy's "Pretty Boy Swag" has got to be the worst "song" ever recorded. Everytime that it comes up on MTV my stomach churns.

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"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

Broadway show tunes"the sun will come out tomorrow, but your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun...."

Ugh... Showtunes...

::barfs::

You are such a SoFla queen (TM).

Skeebs,

With the exception of Mr. Marshall Mathers everyone sucks these days. I am a House music fag, but old school hip hop is somewhere in my top five of music categories. This garbage that passes as R&B/hip hop these days is simply shameful.

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"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

Actually, I like my R/B, Rap, Hip Hop - but not too much of the new stuff - mainly old school - there really haven't been any tunes out that have caught my attention in a positive way in the last 3-4 years - at least.

With the exception of Mr. Marshall Mathers everyone sucks these days. I am a House music fag, but old school hip hop is somewhere in my top five of music categories. This garbage that passes as R&B/hip hop these days is simply shameful.

I can't get into Em to be honest. My wife and I were in the car the other day and I was commenting on one of his new songs, "Babe is he still rappin about his ex?!"... of which she replied, "Yep!".

One of the best raps in my opinion is one that not many people know about, unless you rode in Miami back in the Bass Station and Pac Jam days. This is classic Miami sound right here:

I like Em's Stan - but that is really the only one of his that I enjoy -- I do think he has some good flow in his lyrics though. I am actually more into story-telling type of rap --- Tupac had to be one of the best at that; Chamillionaire is also hot. In terms of beats, Scarface is up there. I was never too much of a bass head and actually didn't care much for Pac Jam or all of the songs that came out immediately around the same time that had the same sound.

I agree that showtunes are barf material of the major kind. Hey Philatio, do you also go to those pathetic piano bars?

Actually have only been to the Monster in NYC twice - but that was long ago.

Only showtunes I like really would be from RENT - favorite play, favorite movie. Other than that they are usually too sugary for me.

Although I was heavily involved in the theatre in college - but didn't do any singing - was more into the dramatic roles. Was in Equus, Tracers, a few others that I honestly can't remember right now....

lol... Luke and the 2 Live Crew. That's a sound I haven't heard in a while. Not my cuppa though.

From the late 80s up to late 90s stuff give me Method Man, Big Daddy Kane, Talib Kweli, Ice Cube (and he so fine on top of errrthing).

« Last Edit: August 27, 2010, 11:50:01 AM by Rev. Moon »

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"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

lol... Luke and the 2 Live Crew. That's a sound I haven't heard in a while. Not my cup though.

From the 90s stuff give me Method Man, Big Daddy Kane, Talib Kweli, Ice Cube (and he so fine on top of errrthing).

Now, I used to like me some Luke - of course I was much younger then and I think it was more of a growing up in a rural area taboo titillation thing with hearing the lyrics --- oh, my shock when I heard the lyrics

Now, I wouldn't even notice -

Me and my homies like to play this game, some call it Amtrak, but we call it a tr........

"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."

I like Em's Stan - but that is really the only one of his that I enjoy -- I do think he has some good flow in his lyrics though. I am actually more into story-telling type of rap --- Tupac had to be one of the best at that; Chamillionaire is also hot. In terms of beats, Scarface is up there. I was never too much of a bass head and actually didn't care much for Pac Jam or all of the songs that came out immediately around the same time that had the same sound.

Pac Jam was the shit... I use to have a 81 Cutlass Supreme with 30's and 8 - 12" EV Force speakers with 4- 300 watt Linear Amps in the back all equalized with a Zapco 24 channel EQ. You didn't hear me coming...no, you felt me coming. Those were the days... wasted time really, I guess part of the reason I'm back in school now.

Not taking anything away from Em, he's great and all, just not my taste.

I have a very eclectic taste when it comes to music though. I love the stuff out of Motown from the early 60's and 70's and all the flower power stuff from mid 60's to early 70's. Toss in all the Acid Rock bands and Heavy Metal... All rap up to the mid 90's is a fav of mine as well. Rolling Stones, Beatles... fuck man it's way too much to list. I am a huge fan of the grunge era, Alice in Chains being my favorite... when I was younger (20's) I use to get told I looked like Layne Staley all the time. I was listening to this last night while forum surfing:

The Monster is OK as long as you restrict yourself to the downstairs dance floor and go on Latin Night. I used to get so messy there making out with guys who'd have their hands down the back of my pants. And there was this beefy Dominican guy who was the bouncer, and I later found out he'd go up to some of my prospective partners and threaten to beat them up if they didn't leave me to himself. I had to read him on that one. I'm nobody's fire hydrant to urinate on.

Those are definitely some masters there you've listed. You have to include Eric B. and the great Rakim who I think is the best rapper of all time.

Fucketh yeah. He is up there in my pantheon. Big Daddy Kane is the best IMO.

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"I have tried hard--but life is difficult, and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence. I was just a screw or a cog in the great machine I called life, and when I dropped out of it I found I was of no use anywhere else."